Extensions in ApolloError can only contain code

[joepuzzo]

According to the graphql spec.

"GraphQL services may provide an additional entry to errors with key extensions. This entry, if set, must have a map as its value. This entry is reserved for implementors to add additional information to errors however they see fit, and there are no additional restrictions on its contents."

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "message": "Name for character with ID 1002 could not be fetched.",
      "locations": [ { "line": 6, "column": 7 } ],
      "path": [ "hero", "heroFriends", 1, "name" ],
      "extensions": {
        "code": "CAN_NOT_FETCH_BY_ID",
        "timestamp": "Fri Feb 9 14:33:09 UTC 2018"
      }
    }
  ]
}

"GraphQL services should NOT provide any additional entries to the error format since they could conflict with additional entries that may be added in future versions of this specification."

SPEC >>> https://github.com/graphql/graphql-spec/blob/master/spec/Section%207%20--%20Response.md

But it looks like when constructing an Apollo Error it will only allow you to shove the code into extensions. Why don't additional properties end up on extensions OR will the constructor allow you to pass extensions.

apollo-server/packages/apollo-server-errors/src/index.ts

Line 35 in 6ffec8e

this.extensions = { code };

[joepuzzo]

Ok so i have determined this is due to the enrichError function found here. This is really bad because if you call new ApolloError('The message i want shown', 'SOME_CODE', { some_exception_data: 'fasdfadf', message: 'This message will override the constructors message :('} ) Then the message in the exception ( additional properties ) will take over.

[SekibOmazic]

@joepuzzo I experience the same issue in my project. My hacky solution was to overwrite the extensions attribute after creating an ApolloError (or even to define MyCustomError extends ApolloError)

[joepuzzo]

@SekibOmazic Yeah i ended up Extending ApolloError

[Benrozenberg]

Hi @joepuzzo, Can you show an example of how did you extend ApollloError?
Here is what we did which is not working:

export class UserNotFoundError extends ApolloError {
  constructor(message) {
    super(message, 'NOT_AUTHORIZED_USER', {
      code: 245,
      clientMessage: 'user is not found',
    });
    Object.defineProperty(this, 'name', { value: 'UserNotFountError' });
  }
}

[joepuzzo]

class ValidationError extends ApolloError {
  constructor(message) {
    const extensions = {
      type: 'api_error',
      name: 'ValidationError'
    };
    super(message, 'VALIDATION_ERROR', extensions);
  }
}

[joepuzzo]

@Benrozenberg Remember all the stuff in extensions will end up in error.extensions.exception
So the above would look like this

{
  message: "The username 'Joe' is already taken"
  extensions: {
    code: "VALIDATION_ERROR"
    exception: {
      type: "api_error",
      name: "ValidationError",
    }
  }
}

[Benrozenberg]

@joepuzzo thanks, it seems like we are doing the same thing. Unfortunately even with your code I still cannot get the exception in the client.

[yuchristina]

Hi @Benrozenberg! I was able to get around this problem this way

class GqlError extends ApolloError { 	
     constructor(message, code = ‘INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR’, extensions = {}) { 		 
             super(message) 		
             this.extensions = { ...extensions, code } 		
             if (!this.name) { 			
                    Object.defineProperty(this, ‘name’, { value: ‘GqlError’ }) 		
             } 	
    } 
}

However, I am wondering whether Apollo tooling (e.g. Engine, Apollo-client) would be sensitive to code being a direct property in extensions, or is it perfectly fine for me to nest code in another property in extensions?

[Benrozenberg]

Hi @yuchristina, I think your solution should not cause any problem and you can do both but if you think it might why don't you create a new property (myCode) instead of overriding code property?

anyways if it helps i ended up doing as follow :

export class AuthenticationError extends ApolloError {
  constructor(message, clientMessage = 'user is not authenticated - 401') {
    super(message, 'UNAUTHENTICATED', {
      codeNumber: 401,
      clientMessage,
    });
    Object.defineProperty(this, 'name', { value: 'NotAuthorizedError' });
  }
}

After formating error this allows me to send different messages to the server and to the client

[trevor-scheer]

Hey @joepuzzo, @yuchristina, @SekibOmazic, @Benrozenberg, and other interested parties 👋
Thank you all for opening this issue and providing context and workarounds!

I've opened a PR to make sure I'm understanding the issue(s) at hand correctly. It seems that we have multiple issues to address, so I've started with a couple test cases for validation from you all. These tests are currently failing as expected. Please feel free to @ me here or comment on the PR with anything that's incorrect or overlooked.

Confirmed ✅

1. Extensions can't be provided via the ApolloError constructor (they are overwritten)
2. The message property on the 3rd constructor argument overwrites the original message

Uncertain / needs clarification:
I see some discussion about name, though I'm unsure how it pertains. I see it being used in enrichError, but I'm not sure how it relates to the original intent of this issue. Possibly a separate issue?

[joepuzzo]

@Benrozenberg Remember all the stuff in extensions will end up in error.extensions.exception
So the above would look like this

{
  message: "The username 'Joe' is already taken"
  extensions: {
    code: "VALIDATION_ERROR"
    exception: {
      type: "api_error",
      name: "ValidationError",
    }
  }
}

So I had made this comment a while ago and now noticed that apollo seems to correctly set the additional fields in extensions.

[trevor-scheer]

@joepuzzo I just want to make sure I understand, are things as expected for you now? If not, please feel free to open a separate issue - I really should've closed this one when I landed #3408